I love these kinds of lawsuits -- ones where the dunderhead corporate marketing machine fails to be specific about what is actually in an edible product. This time around, a Los Angeles woman has sued the Kraft, a division of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO), claiming that the nation's largest processed food company can't tell the difference between real avocado and colored hydrogenated vegetable oil. I've noticed on many foods (which I don't eat) that colorings, flavorings and cheap filler ingredients are the norm these days.
Altria Group is in the midst of some possible restructuring under the burden of many lawsuits, so this one single lawsuit probably does not carry much weight. In this case, though, Kraft faces a legal situation hinging on the tight court cases involving consumer fraud.
Gallo & Associates -- a Los Angeles law firm claiming significant experience prosecuting consumer fraud -- filed a suit in California Superior Court on this week on behalf of the female plaintiff that alleges Kraft has the temerity to call a product containing a mishmash of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, whey, water and corn syrup "guacamole".
As far as I know, mashing avocados is how guacamole is made -- not with cheap, processed ingredients. According to reports, avocado represents less than 2% of the dip's contents. Kraft did respond by saying that it will re-label the product as "guacamole-flavored." Awesome job, folks.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-11-2008 @ 8:53PM
Faith said...
Bravo to the woman who is sueing, facing a bunch of people saying she is stupid for it....
Though there are some lawsuits that are frivolous (apologies for my likely inaccurate spelling) this one is not, though it is altimately my responsibility what I put in my body, what Kraft sells at 50 cents a jar and the masses buy, bring down the prices for what the farmers can sell it for. When they can no longer make a living because of Kraft (or other large companys that falsify what they are selling and pocket the savings for using cheap bad ingrediants) the farmers will be forced into other work. And it will be harder and harder for us to find the real food and eventually likely be forced to eat the 50 cent jar of crap.
12-01-2006 @ 12:21PM
brad said...
People dont get wealthy anymore from hard work,sweat and sacrifice.They have to scour things to find a small error so they can sue and live on easy street.Stupid lawsuits cause inflation as now all companies must pay to be covered by these actions.Look at your healthcare costs and ask your doctor what he pays for lawsuit insurance.People like this make me sick
12-01-2006 @ 12:30PM
sarah gilbert said...
oh, no, this is great. I'm definitely not a fan of slip-and-fall and "oh this coffee was hot! this blackberry made me addicted! this fast food made me fat!" type lawsuits. personal responsibility, folks.
but i'd SO sue a company for calling artificial colors and trans-fatty acids "guacamole." that's so awesome. it's not about the money, it's just good old fashioned FUN.
i'm jealous that i didn't think of it.
12-01-2006 @ 1:06PM
brad said...
If its not about the money why is she suing?A simple letter or phone call would have had the same effect.It contained Guacamole,so what would you call it PEACH?
12-01-2006 @ 7:14PM
Lisa said...
Let's see slam on my brakes so I am rear ended or sue Kraft because the guacamole isn't real? Come on people we are our own worst enemy. So now all Kraft products will go up in price so they can pay their lawyers. Try working and stop suing everyone it will only come back to bite your a**.
12-01-2006 @ 2:54PM
natrietia said...
It's not a matter of a frivolous claim. In my opinion it speaks volumes of the greed of these companies and the lack of responsibility that they take in manufacturing foods that we consume. True enough, people have a choice in what they eat. surely, we don't need a label to know that eating fast food 5 times a week isn't a healthy choice, but when your dealing with a complete falsehood, "guacomole" thats mostly, oil & corn syrup, I have to ask,"what are trying to do to me? Kill me? For the sake of a buck." That's just immoral.
12-03-2006 @ 2:00PM
Tom said...
You go to a store and you see a pint container of guacamole for 50 cents. Wouldn't you be a bit suspicious of the cheap price and look at the ingredients? And even if you purchased it and tasted it, why not take it back to the store and write a letter to Kraft. So what is her attorney going to do? File a deceptive trade practices suit and recover three times the 50 cents she spent? Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, whey, water and corn syrup will not kill you, (at least not right away).
12-04-2006 @ 9:15PM
Rob said...
Please, this type of crap needs to stop. We are all at fault here. Anyone who invests in stock demands returns from the company, so by the company using cheap ingrediants, they can increase profit to satisfy the stakeholder of the company,ie you and me.
I hate this type of lawsuit, but just wait till I am rear ended in my car by someone on a cell phone, I'll sue the cell phone maker, the service, and the car manufacturer. Bermuda here I come!
12-09-2006 @ 9:10AM
Craig P said...
Kraft Foods is a company which has the wrong people in the right place at the right time. No wonder they are having financial problems. Losers.
12-20-2006 @ 2:15PM
Justin said...
Maybe it's not always about money.
A lawsuit in the national media is a way to keep corporations accountable. I don't think a strongly worded letter would make them change anything, but a lawsuit that reaches the media sure will. Maybe it's not about money for this woman.
12-20-2006 @ 5:36PM
Rita said...
I'm sick of people belly-aching over how lawsuits are the easy alternative to "hard-work." I agree and see nothing wrong with it. If there's an easy way out, take it.
12-20-2006 @ 10:57PM
John Cuyler said...
You all are so philisophical! Fake avacado? Would we accept other fake products? Are those blueberries in your blueberry muffin real (answer: unlikely). Excuse me while I chew on my Velveeta sandwhich. WTF is Velveeta anyways? Damn good, that's what. That being said... I'll never buy guac again without reading the 'gredients. Vote with your pocketbook! Grow your own avacado, buy stock in kraft, God bless America!
12-22-2006 @ 1:54PM
Patrick said...
It seesm clear most people don't comprehend lawsuits. You have been trained by the media to accept all "lawsuit" stories as frivolous attempts at earning money. But a lawsuit is an effective way to draw attention to blatant fraud. As a consumer, I am offended by many of the things I am sold that don't match the picture or contain what the label says they do.
And finally, it irks me when people raise the spectre of the "too hot coffee" lawsuit. Come ON people, stop listening to Urban Legends and start reading! The woman in question sustained THIRD DEGREE BURNS and required SKIN GRAFTS. I'm all for hot coffee in the morning, but not when it has the potential to kill me. And, by the way, she wasn't driving the car - she was a passenger - and her son had PULLED OVER so she could add cream to the coffee. So it wasn't a woman who pealed off, spilled her coffee while driving and sued because she was an idiot. Most other "frivolous" lawsuits have a similar basis in corporate responsibility. Just read and think, don't regurgitate like sheep.
1-14-2007 @ 3:15PM
bruce said...
I think everyone needs to wake up and see the real truth. You get caught up in materialism and you reap what you sew. I'll continue to consume real food and really couldn't give a flip about all these useless corporations who ruin our world and pervert our common senses. Hey, PS-3 can get you killed. Screw all this hype, let's all get back our farms and live intelligently.
7-11-2007 @ 5:52AM
Klampett said...
Yeehaw! Granny - where's them vittles?!!